Fifteen
by Tiny Wolverine
Summary: Sam has loved Jake since her return from San Francisco, and now he's gone. There had been a secret he hadn't told her, and she feels betrayed. But how is she going to live without him? Oneshot, SaKe. Songfic.


_**Fifteen  
**__Songfic by Dawn. Fire. Angel_

**Um, this came to me while I was listening to Taylor Swift's song, 'Fifteen'... anyways, I hope you guys like it!**

**18/1/13 EDIT - Note below, please read that too.**

**Please review!**

_**Kindly listen to Taylor Swift's 'Fifteen' as you read this.**_

* * *

**Fifteen**

It was Samantha Anne Forster's first day in Darton High after her little 'vacation' in San Francisco. She was terrified, but wanted to make a great impression to everyone.

"First class: Biology in Room 56 with Mr. Folchart," she muttered to herself, then looked at the number on the door. 56.

She took a deep breath, and walked through the doors.

* * *

_Take a deep breath and you walk through the doors  
Its the morning of your very first day  
you say hi to your friends you ain't seen in a while  
Try and stay out of everybody's way_

* * *

"Sam!"

Sam jumped and looked around for the person who had called her name. A blond girl with glasses was waving at her excitedly.

"Sam, over here!"

Sam smiled, and headed over to the girl.

"Hey, Jen."

_It's your freshman year and you're gonna be here  
for the next four years in this town  
hoping one of those senior boys will wink at you and say  
you know I haven't seen you around, before_

* * *

Sam paid for the food she had chosen before walking away, next to Jennifer Kenworthy, who was nattering away about her horse, Silk Stockings.

Suddenly, someone crossed her path, and she halted abruptly. The drink on her tray slopped a little, but there was no real damages.

A pair of mustang eyes met green ones, and the Shoshone boy winked at her.

"Haven't seen you around, Brat. You're lookin' mighty good."

* * *

_Cause when you're fifteen and somebody tells you they love you  
you're gonna believe them  
and when you're fifteen  
feeling like there's nothing to figure out  
well count to ten, take it in  
this is life before you know who you're gonna be  
fifteen_

* * *

Sam laughed, and blew him a quick kiss before stepping around him.

"Thanks, Jake."

Jen's jaw dropped, and the girl blinked furiously at Jake Ely, who, according to the Queen Bee, was the hottest guy next to her twin brother, the King Bee, Ryan Slocum. Of course, she can't date her own brother, so her eyes were on Jake.

Even as the thoughts crossed her mind, Rachel Slocum was glaring at both Sam and Jake.

Jake touched her auburn locks and smiled again as Sam shivered silently.

"See ya 'round, Brat." Jake strolled away with his friends as Sam stared at his back, her eyes unknowingly filled with the longing she had inside.

* * *

_You sit in class next to a redhead named Abigail  
and soon enough you're best friends  
laughing at the other girls who think they're so cool  
we'll be out of here as soon as we can_

* * *

Jennifer was no redhead, but they were best friends. Before class, they enjoyed laughing at whatever Rachel Slocum did they thought was funny.

"Did I tell you about the time she dropped her pencil right in front of Jake, hoping he'll pick it up?"

"Yes, but I definitely want to hear it again!" Sam laughed.

"Well, she dropped her pencil, all right, but Jake and his gang just walked past without a second glance!" Together, they fell about laughing.

_and then you're on your very first date and he's got a car  
and you're feeling like flying  
and you're moma's waiting up and you think he's the one  
and you're dancing round your room when the night ends  
when the night ends_

* * *

"Sam!" Brynna called from downstairs. "Jake's here."

"Coming!" Sam called, running her hands through her shoulder length auburn hair before dashing downstairs in her white miniskirt and emerald tank top that matched her eyes perfectly.

"You look beautiful, honey!" Brynna admired her as Sam skidded to a halt at the bottom steps. Sam smiled at her stepmother before kissing her cheek and dashing away. "Be home by eleven!" Brynna called after the girl.

Jake was leaning against his pickup, lazy brown eyes hidden by his Stetson. He looked up when her movements caught his eye, and his eyes widened. He took off his hat as if he didn't really believe that it was Sam, the Sam he asked out. "Wow, Sam, you look..." he trailed off, and cleared his throat. "I mean, hey, Brat."

Sam laughed a little nervously, and reached up to peck his cheek. His eyes widened again, and he looked away, rubbing the back of his neck nervously.

"Are you ready?" she whispered.

* * *

_Cause when you're fifteen and somebody tell you they love you  
you're gonna believe them  
and when you're fifteen and your first kiss  
makes your head spin round but  
in your life you'll do things greater than dating the boy on the football team  
but I didn't know it at fifteen_

Yes, she believed that Jake loved her. Especially now, under the starry night sky, where their hands were linked and the horses snorted quietly in the background. Sam felt his arm slide around her waist, and she looked up at him, her beautiful, dark-haired prince. His eyes were soft as he gathered her in his arms and drew her close for a kiss. Their lips met, and her hands – entirely out of their own accord – slid around his neck to hold him in her arms, forever.

Jake's arms encircled her waist, and he pulled her closer, so there was no part of them separated. He loved her, truly, but he had to leave her here, prey for other boys to attack her. His heart was torn. He had no choice. He had to leave her, and leave her now, before it got too hard for her.

Sadness swelled in his heart, and he pulled away, unable to meet her eyes.

"Jake?"

There it was, her beautiful, soft voice, calling his name like it was a diamond. Her hands stroked his hair, and he shuddered silently.

_I can't leave her_, he thought in despair. _It's too hard. Too hard._

"Jake?"

Sam slid a hand under his chin and brought his face up to meet her eyes. She saw the sadness and the conflict in them, and gasped.

"Jake, what's wrong?"

Jake took her thin wrist, and kissed her forehead.

"Sam, there's something I have to tell you."

* * *

_When all you wanted was to be wanted  
wish you could go back and tell yourself what you know now_"What is it, Jake?" Sam whispered, her green eyes searching his. Her hands stroked his face quietly, brushing away the tears that had already spilled over. "Tell me." Jake felt despair overwhelm him. She was so innocent, so wonderfully innocent. It wouldn't do to tell her the truth, to tell her that he was going to die. "Jake, please," she begged. "You're scaring me."

* * *

Yes, of course he was. He was a monster, a sick monster. If he... if he loved her, she would go down with him, only to bob back up and live her life in misery.

No, he wouldn't tell her. He would leave her, now.

"I'm sorry, Sam," he whispered, kissing her one last time before getting up and striding to his horse. Witch nickered and nudged Jake as he mounted. On the floor, he saw Sam stare at him, tears welling up in her green eyes.

"Jake, no!"

He heard the desperation in her voice, and knew that it would break him. He kicked the mare, and she burst into a lope. Ace, Sam's mustang, watched them go.

"Come back!"

But he was already riding away.

_Back then I swore I was gonna marry him someday  
but I realized some bigger dreams of mine  
and Abigail gave everything she had to a boy  
who changed his mind and we both cried_

* * *

"Jen?"

It was three years later, and Jake was gone, long gone. His body lay in the ground, and his spirit was with the horses of old. Sam knew he'll be happy there.

_If only he told me earlier. If only he trusted me like he did my parents. My heart is broken, and it will stay that way until my spirit joins his in heaven._

Jen was crying.

Sam was horrified to feel a tear slide down her own face. "Jen, what's wrong?"

Her thoughts flew back to the last time she said those words to a friend, and to the last time she'd seen someone other than herself cry. Her own voice rose up again, in her thoughts. "_Jake, what's wrong?"_

"_I'm sorry, Sam," _his voice whispered in her mind. Sam shuddered, and blocked it out before turning to Jen.

"Jen?"

"It's Ryan," Jen sniffled.

"What about him?"

"He... he broke up with me!" Jen burst into fresh tears, and Sam's own eyes leaked. She dropped them, and closed her eyes.

"I'm sorry, Jen."

* * *

_Cause when you're fifteen and somebody tells you they love you  
you're gonna believe them  
and when you're fifteen, don't forget to look before you fall  
Iove found that time can heal most anything  
and you just might find who you're supposed to be  
I didn't know who I was supposed to be at fifteen_

_Another year later..._

Sam slipped into the black mare's stall and rubbed the horse's ears. "Hey, Tempest," she whispered to the now three-year-old mustang filly. She whickered, and nudged Sam. "Are you ready for a ride?"

Sam tacked her up, quickly and efficiently, before mounting her. The filly stood quietly as she settled herself and gathered her reins.

"Let's go, my beauty."

* * *

_La la la la la la la la..._

_la la la la la la la la..._

_La la la la la la._

* * *

As Tempest made her way up the rocky mountain, Sam chatted to the horse in quiet tones. Out of nowhere, she started to talk about Jake, in a way she's never been able to in a long time. "Jake..." she swallowed. "He was so amazing with horses. You would've loved him, Tempest. He had this connection with horses that I'll never have, even if I studied your kind for the rest of my life. He was shy and handsome, and everybody liked him in their own way. You should've seen him on his... his burial day, Tempest. He looked so handsome in the Shoshone wedding attire..."

Sam trailed off, and stroked the silky fur of the black filly under her. "I still miss him, even now," Sam added quietly. "But I know he wants me to live my life, as if he'd never existed. Even if forgetting him is impossible, I can love him in his memory." Tempest snorted, and Sam laughed shakily. "He would've liked you, beautiful," Sam assured the horse, who just stamped her hoof and looked to her right.

A thunder of hooves caught her attention, and Sam looked to the right as well, staring down at the empty place which they'd just descended from, where a whole herd burst through a secret hole.

Sam recognized the Phantom's herd, and smiled as the beautiful white horse burst chased his mares past them.

Sam stood in her stirrups and called out his secret name.

"Zanzibar!"

Her voice echoed, and Zanzibar looked up at her, and halted, rising into a powerful, beautiful rear. Sam choked back a sob, imagining the day when Jake had helped her tame this horse. _I wish I could've kept this horse, in his memory..._

The Phantom landed, and bolted after his mares, leaving Sam crying with the Phantom's own daughter, Tempest. Tempest nudged her rider's boot, and Sam sat up.

"You're right, girl. Crying doesn't help anything." She gathered her reins. "C'mon, let's keep going."

They continued to climb in silence. Soon, Tempest halted near the peak, letting Sam dismount, where, so long ago, Ace and Witch had halted to let their riders dismount.

Sam walked up, and stood at the very edge of the peak, and closed her eyes.

_She could almost feel his lips on hers again, his hands tangled in her hair, and his hard, muscular back. There were tears running down her face like she almost knew what was coming next..._

Sam jolted.

The tears were real.

Sam wiped her eyes, and stared out at the sunset. Jake had brought her out here to see this with him, and now she was looking at it alone.

As if to contradict her, a gentle breeze blew, whispering to her.

_No, not alone. Jake's always here, in my heart. He'll stay there, never aging, never dying again, until I meet him in heaven._

The wind played with the strands of her auburn hair, so like the time he had done.

She could almost imagine him standing in front of her, his hands stroking her hair, flipping them up playfully at times...

_I love you, Jake._

* * *

_You're very first day  
take a deep breath girl  
take a deep breath as you walk through those doors._

* * *

**So... review!**

**[ EDIT - 18/1/13 ] **

**Hi guys! So from scanning my reviews I realized that none of you could figure out how he died. I ****_think_****, actually, the point of not mentioning it is that he could have died from any kind of sickness you can attach to him. Cancer, AIDs... honestly, whatever you can think of that is fatal. However, for the sake of giving you guys reason, Jake died of leukemia. **

**In any case, I hope this clears up all the confusion. :) Cheers.**

**- TW**


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